Technical Field
This invention relates to methods for the treatment of a neurologic condition. In particular, the invention relates to methods of treating depression, mania, and post-traumatic stress disorder by training synaptic pathways in the brain.
State of the Art
Depression is common, and a significant public health problem in the United States. It is estimated that one in ten persons in the U.S. suffer from clinical depression.
Persons suffering from depression may experience a constellation of debilitating symptoms, including a lack of interest and pleasure in daily activities, significant weight loss or gain, insomnia or excessive sleeping, lack of energy, inability to concentrate, feelings of worthlessness, excessive guilt, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide. Depression can occur as a primary mental health disorder, or may arise secondary to an unrelated primary illness.
Available treatments for depression include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), medications, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). CBT is effective in many cases, particularly when symptoms are mild to moderate and of recent onset, but less so in chronic or severe depression. CBT has been shown to be more effective with combined with medications, and vise-versa. Treatment of depression with medications is generally safe, however, onset of a therapeutic effect is gradual and may take at least several weeks to manifest, with maximal improvement seen only after eight weeks. If medications are discontinued, the symptoms generally return, often necessitating lifetime pharmacologic therapy. Moreover, medications, CBT, or combined CBT and medications are only effective in sixty to seventy percent (60%-70%) of cases. ECT is useful in up to ninety percent (90%) of patients and immediately effective, however, ECT can be associated with significant side effects, including effects on memory and cognitive impairment. Only about twenty percent (20%) of those with depression receive any treatment, and a significant percentage of those who are treated do not achieve significant or lasting improvement.
Currently available treatments for depression, therefore, are 1) effective only in a subset of patients; and 2) relatively short-lived.
Accordingly, what is needed is a safe and rapid-onset means for treating depression that is widely efficacious and which provides relief of symptoms over an extended period of time.